Observations from 20 years ago

[MikeMinusWife 42]

These are just my personal observations, nothing here will help you much with your current application so please stop reading now unless you’re curious.
 

So I married for the second time later in life and now find myself going through the IR1 process all over again, this time it’s as the petitioner (in the US) whereas the first time it was as the applicant via DCF in the UK.  
 

So how have things have changed in that time?

 

Now to be fair I’m not truly comparing apples to apples - the foreign application process is certainly different from DCF, and I’m sure it was back then, but please bear with me.  Firstly my assessment of the current USCIS/NVC/Consular process is that it’s a chaotic shambles at best, and at worst a bad joke.  I seem to be providing identical information to both the immigration people and now the NVC, only to have to then present it all for a third time at the embassy - 20 years ago it was one document (admittedly for DCF) but you had to complete 4 separate sets of forms all by hand.  I remember it took me hours and it felt like I was doing punishment lines at school as I filled out copy after copy and finally mailed off the package.  Two months later I was sat in the (old) embassy in Grosvenor Square which has to be the most beautiful part of central London for my interview.  It was early morning and I was promptly packed off for my medical with an elderly and very pleasant English doctor at his surgery a short walk from the Embassy, back then it was all done that same day, I note from my NVC info that my wife will need to take her medical at least 5 days before the actual interview - so 2 trips to London will be required I assume, very messy.  My medical consisted of a chest x-ray for TB, and a blood test for HIV and the doctor advised me to go and get some lunch before reporting back to the embassy around 2pm - he added that if the Embassy told me to return to see him then it wouldn’t be to get good news.....gulp.  On my return to the embassy I recall being seen by an employee in a scruffy looking sweater who literally flicked through my documentation without really checking it.  He didn’t ask me any questions and spoke just a few words to me - he gave me my completed visa package and told me that I had 6 months to use it, to be honest it all seemed like a formality at that stage.  I have a feeling that it will be a lot more intensive on this go around especially in these post 9/11 days - guess I’ll see.

 

Just some observations as I doubt there are many people who have been through all this with a 20 year time gap.  Please forgive the indulgence.

[Kimi31 126]

1 hour ago, MikeMinusWife said:

These are just my personal observations, nothing here will help you much with your current application so please stop reading now unless you’re curious.
 

So I married for the second time later in life and now find myself going through the IR1 process all over again, this time it’s as the petitioner (in the US) whereas the first time it was as the applicant via DCF in the UK.  
 

So how have things have changed in that time?

 

Now to be fair I’m not truly comparing apples to apples - the foreign application process is certainly different from DCF, and I’m sure it was back then, but please bear with me.  Firstly my assessment of the current USCIS/NVC/Consular process is that it’s a chaotic shambles at best, and at worst a bad joke.  I seem to be providing identical information to both the immigration people and now the NVC, only to have to then present it all for a third time at the embassy - 20 years ago it was one document (admittedly for DCF) but you had to complete 4 separate sets of forms all by hand.  I remember it took me hours and it felt like I was doing punishment lines at school as I filled out copy after copy and finally mailed off the package.  Two months later I was sat in the (old) embassy in Grosvenor Square which has to be the most beautiful part of central London for my interview.  It was early morning and I was promptly packed off for my medical with an elderly and very pleasant English doctor at his surgery a short walk from the Embassy, back then it was all done that same day, I note from my NVC info that my wife will need to take her medical at least 5 days before the actual interview - so 2 trips to London will be required I assume, very messy.  My medical consisted of a chest x-ray for TB, and a blood test for HIV and the doctor advised me to go and get some lunch before reporting back to the embassy around 2pm - he added that if the Embassy told me to return to see him then it wouldn’t be to get good news.....gulp.  On my return to the embassy I recall being seen by an employee in a scruffy looking sweater who literally flicked through my documentation without really checking it.  He didn’t ask me any questions and spoke just a few words to me - he gave me my completed visa package and told me that I had 6 months to use it, to be honest it all seemed like a formality at that stage.  I have a feeling that it will be a lot more intensive on this go around especially in these post 9/11 days - guess I’ll see.

 

Just some observations as I doubt there are many people who have been through all this with a 20 year time gap.  Please forgive the indulgence.

Hello

im a repeater too!

cr1 in 1997 took about 4-5 mths in total and CR1 now, going on 17 mths 

unbelieveable with the same usc husband

we got divorced inbetween time 

 

[JeanneAdil 6,693]

K1 in July 2009 and interview November 2009 (less than 5 months from application to interview) High fraud country so denial

but it was not months and months to find out 

Now,  in normal times the K1 takes almost a year and this virus has everyone on hold 

no 20 year gap for me but i don't see that sending documents thru CEAC has speeded anything up / so many write NVC says unreadable,  papers missing,  not offical document, etc.  It is great USC does not have to wait for mail to get some documents like criminal reports,  etc from the foreigner 

If USCIS really does furlough 1300 employees,  will these already trained people come back to work or look for other employment ?   I would look for a new job

so, then what happens?  training a bunch of new people can't be cheap /  it really is in the best interest for USCIS to keep the employees they have 

 

and Congress??? that's a laugh/ they are in charge of Homeland Security (7 divisions) and they acknowledge immigration  (legal and illegal ) have issues (for 20 /30 years)  but have they appointed a subcommittee to study the problems and reform the system?  nope 

 

that is just my rant so please forgive me and keep helping those here that need it

and VOTE

[os306 103]

4 hours ago, MikeMinusWife said:

These are just my personal observations, nothing here will help you much with your current application so please stop reading now unless you’re curious.
 

So I married for the second time later in life and now find myself going through the IR1 process all over again, this time it’s as the petitioner (in the US) whereas the first time it was as the applicant via DCF in the UK.  
 

So how have things have changed in that time?

 

Now to be fair I’m not truly comparing apples to apples - the foreign application process is certainly different from DCF, and I’m sure it was back then, but please bear with me.  Firstly my assessment of the current USCIS/NVC/Consular process is that it’s a chaotic shambles at best, and at worst a bad joke.  I seem to be providing identical information to both the immigration people and now the NVC, only to have to then present it all for a third time at the embassy - 20 years ago it was one document (admittedly for DCF) but you had to complete 4 separate sets of forms all by hand.  I remember it took me hours and it felt like I was doing punishment lines at school as I filled out copy after copy and finally mailed off the package.  Two months later I was sat in the (old) embassy in Grosvenor Square which has to be the most beautiful part of central London for my interview.  It was early morning and I was promptly packed off for my medical with an elderly and very pleasant English doctor at his surgery a short walk from the Embassy, back then it was all done that same day, I note from my NVC info that my wife will need to take her medical at least 5 days before the actual interview - so 2 trips to London will be required I assume, very messy.  My medical consisted of a chest x-ray for TB, and a blood test for HIV and the doctor advised me to go and get some lunch before reporting back to the embassy around 2pm - he added that if the Embassy told me to return to see him then it wouldn’t be to get good news.....gulp.  On my return to the embassy I recall being seen by an employee in a scruffy looking sweater who literally flicked through my documentation without really checking it.  He didn’t ask me any questions and spoke just a few words to me - he gave me my completed visa package and told me that I had 6 months to use it, to be honest it all seemed like a formality at that stage.  I have a feeling that it will be a lot more intensive on this go around especially in these post 9/11 days - guess I’ll see.

 

Just some observations as I doubt there are many people who have been through all this with a 20 year time gap.  Please forgive the indulgence.

As someone currently going through the DCF London route, I found your account from 20 years ago fascinating to read. As you may be aware, DCF London ceased to be option from April 1st 2020, and the London Field Office will close it’s doors at the end of this month. What a shame. We were among the last few people to file their petitions before the March 31st deadline. Although the process isn’t as simple as it was for you 20 years ago (e.g., the medical and embassy interview don’t happen on the same day for DCF people either) it is still a much more streamlined process than having to go through NVC in the US.